Why Public Invention Matters to the Future
Invent things that help humanity
We challenge the notion that inventions should be reserved for patents and profits. Rather, we invite fellow builders of the future to use their skills for a humanitarian purpose. We want to make the future better for everyone. To do this we remove, rather than add, legal barriers to the free use of our inventions. All work done with Public Invention is free and open to all under share-alike public licenses.
Project Dashboard
Check out our dashboard for project updates and accomplishments:
| Active Projects | Inventors | milliFullers | Oct 2026 | Sep 2026 | Aug 2026 | July 2026 | June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDT | Victoria, Christina, Vincent, Deneille, Surya, Jara, Alison, and Hieu | 25 | Completing API and email notifications | Security, API v2 | API v2 almost ready, email notifications | Offline emergency mode, DQM beginning | Better Usage Statistics |
| LibRecorder | Avinash, Megan, Roy, Rob, Nipul, Chandana, and Christopher | 5 | Integrate classifiers | Building Dermatological Classifiers | Intergrate classifer into work bench, resubmit paper | Begun skin cancer classifier | Recruiting new members |
| Krake | Nagham, Lee, Courtney, Yehia, Juhandre, and Yukti | 20 | Complete manuals, draft HardwareX paper | Work on HardwareX paper | Consider commercialization, improve manuals | Work on Krake paper | Reconsidering demand to increase impact |
| EcoPot | Cledden, Ivan, Gianluca, Jahnavi, and Marie | 20 | Planning Portland conference, test big pot | Draft paper in full | Testing on real fire | CFD of "wavy pot" | Working on paper |
| Biochar Toilet | Hardhik, Peter, and Lawrence | 10 | Joule heating | Charring larger objects | Tulsa maker Faire | Further assembly | Increase size of chamber |
| Moonrat | Melanie | 10 | Paper submitted | Finish TOST test | Complete HardwareX paper | Ordered comparison incubator | Paper revision submitted, waiting |
| ADaM | Saicharan and Muhammad | 20 | Writing Canadian conference paper | SoftwareX paper | Begin paper and documentation | Code modularity improvements | Considering how to improve |
| Ferrofluid Pump | Asmi, Anson, and Asim | 15 | Trying "open" design | Trying new design | Performance improvements | Redesign of diodic valve | Trying to improve performance |
| Rapid Gadgeteering Interface | James | 5 | Tuning prototypes, creating top and bottom "caps" | First prototypes printed and adjusted. | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Anesthesia Gas Removal | Courtney, Virginia Tech capstone team | 5 | Project beginning | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Number Spectra | Umit | 15 | TBA | Public launch of AWS | AWS public launch and user testing | AWS public launch | Trying to make more interesting |
Inventor Gatherings
Check out our free, monthly Inventor Gatherings: virtual events held every Second Sunday at 2:00 PM (CST), where STEM professionals, students, and innovators connect to share ideas, spark collaboration, and support open innovation. These inclusive sessions feature engaging discussions, special guests, and opportunities to grow your network.
Volunteer with Public Invention
Public Invention forms invention teams around humanitarian invention projects. We also need Invention Coaches above all else to mentor and guide a project from start to finish. However, we also need artists, writers, social media experts, and more. All will find a place here and all kinds of tech backgrounds can be utilized: biology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, math, etc.
Different backgrounds with these interest are more than welcome to join our team!
Donate
Your donation directly supports essential activities, including travel to research conferences, journal submission fees, materials for project teams, and the technology needed to bring new inventions to life.
We invite you to contribute to our work and help drive innovation forward.
Public Invention became registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit since November 2019.
Recent Projects
Check out some of our recent public invention projects listed below.
Not sure where to start? Chat with our Project Chatbot to explore active inventions based on your interests and skillset.
PolyVent
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the fragility of our global supply chains. The PolyVent started out as an attempt, along with 100 other teams, to make an open source emergency ventilator. It has now become the world’s most open and extensible ventilator.
GOSQAS
The Global Open Source Quality Assurance System (GOSQAS) provides the opportunity to create truthful, transparent documentation via our open source provenance tracker, Global Distributed Tracking (GDT). Designed specifically for low-resource settings, GDT allows anyone with simple website access to securely record their project data.
Fetal Health Risk Detection using Machine Learning
Equipping healthcare professionals and expectant mothers with timely and actionable insights, this solution aims to transform neonatal care, saving lives and fostering healthier beginnings.
Project #51: Moonrat: A portable Incubator
Current Public Inventors:
Melanie Laporte, Silvia Castillas, Harshit Kumar, Enrique Ruiz, Horacio Garcia, F. Lee Erickson, Robert L. Read of Public Invention
Past Inventors: Sam Dauenbaugh, Jerry Chang, Shreya Bhatia
NASA-MCOG
The NASA-MCOG project develops an open-source control system to enhance NASA’s Ceramic Oxygen Generation technology, aimed at improving life support for space missions. The project focuses on precise parameter control, with potential applications for global health and oxygen generation in harsh environments.
Check out how the efforts of this project are helping other organizations, like KidsOR, to bring oxygen generating sources to low income countries to save lives: https://www.kidsor.org/news/nasa-kidsor/
